Model the way (Importance of core values)

A Reflection

The significant thing I’ve learned in this reading is the importance of “personal values” that will guide me in setting out my principles in life. This will in turn guides my means and ends in accomplishing my leadership’s mission and vision. I strongly agree with the authors principle that to be effective, leaders must first be clear about their principles in life that will serve as their guide.

It is a good lesson that I’ve learned in this reading regarding leadership and thus applying this is a wise thing to do. I will do it by assessing the values that I dearly hold and have it checked from other’s point of view. The reason why I want it checked is because of the lenses I’m wearing. These lenses could be influenced by my culture, background and educational training. As a leader I am responsible for all my constituents and I don’t want to just duplicate a leader but rather develop dynamic leaders that goes beyond culture. This can only happen if my values are not confined in a narrow sets of principles. In that way I can set my personal values as something that I can say our shared values. It will start from my adjusted personal values.

In my experience, I can say that its importance was not given that great value. It could be because, we thought it does not matter in leading. But as I read this chapter, it is very clear that it is indeed a vital practice to model the way. And modeling is not easy if the fundamentals are not clear like the values and its peripheral characteristics.

If I want it to be implemented, I would start from the very core values needed by the organization and make is as our shared values. If we can own it by phrasing and rephrasing it to make it our corporate voice, then it is much better because it is more of personifying it. Leading and modeling then, would be more synergetic and thus modeling that way would even be much easier with shared values established.

Reference: Kouzes M., and Posner B (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th Edition). San Francisco, USA: Jossey-Bass pp 45-72